Alani: Threads Of Fate
by Pandora of Ithilien
Summary: Thom of Trebond had a secret:he had a daughter. Raised at Winding Circle, Alani heads to Tortall to find her family and her future
1. Decisions

_**Alani: Threads Of Fate**_

_Prologue: _Salaya Jasen stared apprehensively at her former lover. Thom of Trebond seemed frozen, his eyes fixed on the child in Sala's arms, his infant daughter. Slowly he said, "Sala, you told me that you had an anti-pregnancy charm. I'm not upset, just a bit confused." She blushed and said that the chain had broken at some point, and she hadn't realized until they were...finished. Thom nodded in understanding and tentatively asked, "Could I hold her?" Sala nodded and gave him the baby. She had his violet eyes and his red hair, although her hair seemed darker. Thom studied the girl, who watched him with a child's fascination at all things new. Quietly he said, "As you told me that she's unnamed, could you name her Alanna, after my sister?" Sala frowned and replied, "I don't want the girl to be named for such a well-known person, but 'Alanna' in my language is Alani. Will that do?" Thom agreed to the name, and the baby was given a naming ceremony. She became Alani Jasen.

Two months later, Thom died at the hands of Roger of Conte. Before his death, he told Alanna the story and at his death, she swore to find the girl. But for 16 years, she could not do it. But then, Alani came looking for _her._

_Chapter One-Decisions: _16-year-old Alani Jasen stood on the eastern wall of Winding Circle Temple in Emelan, watching the ocean waves with slanted eyes the color of amethyst while the wind tumbled her chin length, arrow straight, dark red hair about her face. She was trying to think only of the familiar view, but found her mind drifting back to the problem that had been plaguing her. Tomorrow she and her best friend, Glakisa Irakory, would receive the medallions that showed their advancement from mage-students to full, accredited mages, entitled to all the rights and expected to fulfill all the responsibilities the rank entailed. Well, Ani thought, that's all well and good, but what's next? Most mages traveled for a time after graduation, but Ani didn't know where she wished to go. That wasn't strictly accurate; she knew full well where she'd_ like_ to go, but the idea of it scared her to death. Ani wanted to go to Tortall, which was on the other side of the Endless Ocean, in the area where that ocean was known as the Emerald Ocean. Her reason was simple: the father Alani had never met was a Tortallan noble. She wanted to find out about her family, and Tortall was the only place where she could do so. If she went, she even knew where to go: her father's birthplace, Trebond. And yet...as much as she yearned to know the truth of her past, her fear of rejection tempered that longing. After all, what noble family would want to claim an illegitimate daughter, especially one who had lived in the slums of Tianjai in Fatepha for the first eight years of her life, and had never learned how to be a properly bred young lady? None that _she_ had heard of. Still, Tortall was the home of Alanna the Lioness, the first lady knight in a century and the place where they let girls train as warriors. Maybe their nobles were more liberal that most. Still, she was afraid. Alani was a mage, and that brought her a certain ranking, but even her magic was odd. She was an ambient mage, which meant she worked with the magic that was already in things. In other words, the power she wielded was drawn to her but didn't exactly come from within her. Even that wouldn't have been so odd, except that her power was an odd mix. Her power moved through both the wind and the working of glass. It had made for some..._interesting_ accidents earlier in her career. Alani's hard work with her two teachers, Dedicate Sandstone for glass and Tris Chandler for wind, had taught her control. Meditation, the first thing a mage-student learned, was the cause of that. She also knew how to put her magic in glass and how to send it through the winds. She could make protective charms and various magical devices. She could tie up breezes in strings for later use and hear all that the winds heard. Alani was skilled at scrying with the mirror she'd made for that purpose and she was good at scrying the winds as well. She could even scry fire, since fire magic was part of glass magic. Now she called the breezes, even as she performed the spell for wind scrying. Looking at the air, she saw flecks of colored light swirl around her. In them she saw:

_She stood on a ship's deck, staring at a bustling city. A stone palace crowned it, towers reaching for the sky. She gripped the rail with white-knuckled hands, fear and hope welling up inside her. Tortallan winds – for this was the Tortallan capital, Corus – welcomed her. She turned and went below, gathering up her belongings._

Alani woke from her half-trance as the Hub clock tolled the hour. Cursing, she headed down, fighting a headache. It was time for her daily combat practice with the warrior-dedicates of the Fire Temple. She loved working with them; as a thief, she'd understood the need to defend herself, but now she truly enjoyed learning to wield a bow, staff, and sword. The First Dedicate of the Fire Temple, Skyfire, a former general from Sotat, had taught her all he knew about swords, both long and short(most non-nobles just used short swords, so only Skyfire could teach her to use a long sword.)He'd also taught her to do fighting meditation, with staff and sword. Her archery and regular staff work was done with the other dedicates. Besides all that, she improved her knife skills. After all, her knives were to thank for her work with the warriors in the first place. Six weeks after arriving at the temple, she'd seen some archers attempting to hit a bull's-eye on a distant target. Alani had drawn one of her daggers and thrown it at the target. She hit it dead center. The next day, they invited her to join them. She'd come every day she could since then. 2 years ago, her routine had changed. That was when Dedicate Hawk, the former Shang Hawk, had taken her vows at the temple. These days Alani spent half her fighting time learning Shang unarmed combat to accent the hand-to-hand skills most thieves knew. She also practiced when she woke each morning.

Later, she walked back to Discipline, the cottage where she lived, muscles tingling pleasantly. When she walked in, Shaia, a 12-year-old cook-mage, fixed dinner while her 9-year-old brother, Calren, a healer mage, set the table. Shai looked up when she came in. Cal said, "Ani, Lark and Rosethorn are with Glaki out in the garden. They want to talk to you guys about tomorrow." Ani thanked him and went outside. Standing by the well, she saw Dedicates Lark and Rosethorn, who ran Discipline. Next to them stood Glaki. Alani knew what they wanted. Obviously, the two women wanted to speak to her and Glaki about tomorrow's ceremony. The idea was simple. The two girls would spend the next day in quiet meditation, each in an isolated place that spoke to their power. Ani knew where she was going. She also knew that as the girls' guardians, it was the responsibility of Lark and Rosethorn to instruct the girls in the seriousness of the promises they made to earn the medallions. It was just as important that she and Glaki follow all the preparation rules for the ceremony, or they would be disqualified and made to leave Winding Circle. The women greeted her and began to explain. "Tomorrow is a very important day for both of you. Now, you need to realize that there are many rules to this. First and foremost, you _must not_ speak to _anyone _until you come back from meditation _and_ have gone through the Room Of Visions," Rosethorn told them.

"When you are meditating, think about your future, what you want to do and where you want to go. Reflect on any conflicts or grudges you have. Try to resolve them and let go. You should come back with a clear mind, ready to face the Room. Also, when you go, bring things that connect you to your past. Meditate on your past. Let yourself see the lessons in your histories. Use them as a guide," Lark continued.

Alani listened carefully to the dedicates as they spoke. For the most part, everything seemed easy. All that worried her was the Room Of Visions, and for good reason. The Room caused a person to see anything it wished. Some people, after coming out of there, looked half-dead. Of course, no one knew what those people saw; all who went through there were expressly forbidden to speak of what happened inside. The Room had worried Ani for years, but she knew she had to go there.

"Any questions?" Rosethorn wanted to know. Slowly Alani asked, "For meditation, can I bring my staff? I meditate with it too." Lark said she could and then Shaia called to say that dinner was ready. The four went inside.

At the table, Alani studied the others. She could see that Shaia and Calren weren't as bright and happy as usual and that despite her cheery front, Glaki was nervous. She picked at her food, which she only did when worried. Lark wasn't herself, nor was Rosethorn. Alani realized that everyone was stressed about the next day. Ani herself was equally concerned about her vision from earlier. Was she _meant_ to go to Tortall? Her mother had thought so; she'd told Ani to go there. Right after doing so, Salaya had died, but Ani hadn't gone. Maybe she should. Well, there was one way to find out.

Excusing herself, Alani left the table. As she walked past Lark's workroom on her way upstairs to her room, she had to shade her eyes. The whole area blazed with magic. She saw it with the magic vision called the Sight that she'd gotten from her mom. Ani's was stronger, though; in addition to magic, she saw death, pregnancy, godhood, lies, and poison. With a different concentration, she saw in the dark or across great distances. It was a useful trait, but could be very annoying as well. Shaking her head to clear it, she went up the steps to her room.

Once in her room, Alani lit her lamp and picked up her scrying mirror from the bed table. Sitting cross-legged on her bed, Ani cleared her mind and stared into the mirror's depths. Slowly her consciousness slid into the picture forming in the glass.

_Her horse galloped along a forest trail. The wind whipped at her hair and cloak. She wore a short sword and dagger at her waist; more knives were hidden in her clothes. A bow hung from a saddle hook and a quiver of arrows was slung across her back. Luckily, the prominence of her weapons and the fact that she was not a rich traveler discouraged raiders. The trees began to thin, and suddenly she was at the crest of a grassy hill that looked down upon a large, seemingly prosperous village. East of the town stood a fortress, built around three towers, one thicker than the other two. On the leftmost and middle towers, flags caught the breezes. One was a gold key on a brown field; the other was a gold lioness rampant on a red field. Alani's breath caught as she looked at it. There was the place where her family lived. There was the place where she could discover the truth of her heritage and find where she truly belonged._

The mirror fell from Alani's numb hands, hitting the floor with a bang. Luckily, it had protections against breaking on it, or it would have shattered. Without bothering to pick up the mirror, Alani got up and strode over to her lamp, calling the flame to form a disc over her hands. It flowed to her like water, and she watched it, clearing her mind and waiting for a picture to appear.

_Alani walked into the room, heart pounding__. The two people inside watched her. The woman – her father's twin – looked just like her. Slowly Ani moved forward, wondering – _

She lost the vision. She'd done too much and was too tired to keep going. Alani barely managed to pull the bed covers down and lay back on the bed before unconsciousness claimed her. That night she dreamed the question over and over: Am I _meant_ to go to Tortall? An answer was whispered in her ear, but when she woke, she couldn't recall what it was.

That morning, Alani dressed in a white novice's robe. She combed her hair with a carved wooden comb her mother had given her. Staring at herself in the wall mirror, she saw a pale, determined young woman, eyes and hair blazing. Smiling slightly, she turned, grabbed her staff, and did some practice moves. She repeated this process with sword, knife, and hand-to-hand moves. When Lark called the kids down to help with breakfast, Alani went, but before doing so, she picked up her mirror and put it back on the bed table. Then she headed downstairs.

Everyone knew that she and Glaki couldn't talk to anyone, so out of respect, they stayed quiet. When breakfast was finished, the girls went upstairs to get what they needed. Alani grabbed her staff and tugged the miniature of her father off the wall. As it was a pendant miniature, she put it on a chain and slid it round her neck. Then she slipped into her cloak and went to her meditation spot.

Alani had picked this spot three weeks earlier. It was a tall rock on the beach, 5 feet from the ground at its highest part. It faced east and was directly inside a wind current. Being on the beach, it was surrounded by sand, which was an essential component of glass. Because of all this, it was the perfect spot, a place where her powers were intertwined.

Ani spread her cloak over the rock but did not climb up. Instead, she began doing fighting meditation. After an hour, she tired of that, so she clambered onto the rock and began regular meditation. Her mind whirled with the Tortall question, and she had no answers. Alani studied her dad's picture, yearning to know what she should do. The magic around her heard the plea and suddenly she was surrounded by a whirlwind of air and sand that flashed with colored sparks. The vision came unbidden to fill her mind, knocking out anything else.

_She wore a dress. Not__ one of her wraparound skirt and blouse getups or simple frocks either. This was a fancy, noble lady's dress, cloth of silver, skirts whispering around her. She waited for the herald to announce her and her companions, who were her aunt, uncle, and her three cousins. Then the herald called them and all six headed down. She was escorted by her eldest cousin; he was just her height, though four years younger than she was. They knelt before the king and his queen before moving to join a cluster of family friends, all of whom wanted to meet Alani. All at once a boy her age and two inches taller stood in front of her. He was handsome, lean, with a tanned face, chestnut hair, and emerald eyes. He asked her to dance and she accepted. They moved onto the floor as the tune switched to a waltz. Slowly they glided and Alani's heart pounded from a type of fear and exhilaration she'd never before experienced._

A hand shook Ani's shoulder. She looked up to see a wind-tousled Lark, who said, "Ani, it's time to go! Come on!" Ani slid off the rock and gathered her things. Her heart pounded, with sudden apprehension and a revelation. Her fear was of the Room, but even more prominent in her mind was the knowledge that she _was _meant to go to Tortall after all. Perfect.


	2. Author's Note

Number one, I need a disclaimer before my story is canceled, so I'll say it now: it all belongs to Tamora Pierce and the publishing groups Scholastic and Random House, except for any characters you don't know (although Alani won't be the only character whose relatives we've met). That said, I want to thank the very nice reviewers who said they liked it (you know who you are; I suck at names) and I'll try not to disappoint you. My updates may be a bit slow (my teachers love homework and I have a job) but I'll do my best.

Flames don't bother me; they feed my creativity, but I don't like having my opinions trounced, so please criticize genuine mistakes, like a grammar problem or something. If you hate it, say so, but leave it at that.

If the time lines don't make sense, I apologize, but Tamora Pierce isn't clear on that front. Also, if you don't think Thom was right in the prologue, I hadn't finished SOTL yet, so I apologize. But, since Thom is such a distant guy, it makes sense that he'd have a fairly casual lover, which is really what Salaya was to him. Keep watching for updates!


	3. The Room Of Visions

Disclaimer: Only Alani and any people you don't recognize are mine.

A/N: It has been brought to my attention that the Room of Visions is too much like the Ordeal of Knighthood, so I've changed what you see a bit. Now the Room can only make you relive your past or see part of your future. But you still can't tell what you see in there.

_Chapter 2-The Room: _Alani followed Lark to the Temple of the Four Elements, the temple where all dedicates went for holiday services and the place where the Room of Visions was located. She pushed the thoughts of Tortall out of her head and concentrated on the task ahead of her, just as she'd been told. She began to wonder what she would see.

When she got there, Rosethorn was helping a shaking Glaki out of the Room. That meant it was Ani's turn. Passing her friend, she smiled slightly. Glaki gave a weak grin in reply. Slowly, she opened the door and went inside.

It wasn't so scary on the inside, Alani thought. She could take this. All she saw was a simple room, plain stone and nothing else. But then the air shimmered, and her stomach lurched with sudden fear.

_She sat on a sturdy pony, short sword held aloft. Others – her comrades – fought beside her. Her group's standard fluttered on the wind – a crimson pony on a brown field. Nearby, her gaze showed her knights and other warriors. The battle was fast and fierce, but Ani knew the art of war. Moving forward, she joined the latest charge. All at once, she faced the leader. They dueled, her sword like lightning, his like shining death. All at once, her blade dropped and he moved in for the kill. She drew her dagger and threw it. The knife pierced his skull and he dropped from his charger, dead. She turned away, and saw the enemy retreat. Her comrades began to cheer. Suddenly, a sharp pain struck her. An arrow had pierced her heart. As she slid from her mount, she knew: this was death. Yet it mattered little; she had done her duty. Dimly she heard someone scream her name, while she saw a vague, purple–tinted shadow loom over her, sending magic into her dying body. Didn't they know it was too late? Her instincts had told her she was beyond saving, and so she was. She had accepted her fate; they could do nothing. She had few regrets, and her life had been short but worthwhile. As her breath slowed and her heart stilled, Alani felt at peace. The cool darkness of death reached out, and she did not resist. Instead, she relaxed and allowed Death to take her into his eternal embrace. She didn't hear the voice calling her name , nor did she feel the tug as the arrow was pulled from her frozen heart, or the fire of magic that struggled to revive her cold, lifeless shell as her final breath left her and her spirit fell into oblivion_.

Alani fell to the floor, trembling. She had seen –_ felt _her own death, but she didn't know when it would happen. She was sure the trial was over, but an amber light suddenly filled the air. A woman stood before her, tall and golden–skinned, with a quiver of arrows slung on her back and a bow resting in her hand. Ani gasped. This was Tanu, goddess of female warriors back home in Fatepha. Also known as the Archer, Tanu was the only deity Alani regularly worshiped. When the goddess spoke, Alani knew Tanu was aware of that, and that she also knew of Ani's vision.

"Well, my child, you are finally ready to meet your destiny. You know by now that your path leads to Tortall and the life of a warrior."

"You mean the death of a warrior, like in my vision, don't you?" Ani retorted before she could stop herself. She was scared and confused, and had a splitting headache besides.

The goddess raised a slender brow and said reprovingly, "Nothing but the past is set in stone, Alani Silverglass. Your fate may be a death in battle, but then it may not."

"Silverglass? My last name's Jasen," Alani informed the goddess. Tanu smiled.

"Silverglass is the name of a mage, and you will assume it when you receive your medallion. Now I must leave but first-" she tugged a sapphire ring from her hand- " take this. It will bind you to me and give you good fortune." Tanu disappeared and the ring fell to the floor. Alani picked it up and slid it on. She was instantly acutely aware of her surroundings, and she could hear the door begin to open. She stumbled towards the door and Lark came to steady her. As they left the Room behind, Alani knew that while her fate was unclear, one thing was certain. She had passed the test, and now it was time for her to reclaim her past.

A/N: Sorry if the vision was a bit morbid. It came to me from nowhere and I decided to just go with the flow. Please RR!


	4. Announcements and Departures

Disclaimer: Only Alani and any people you don't recognize are mine.

_Chapter 3 – Announcements and Departures: _"For years, you have studied to achieve this credential. Over that time, both of you have proven yourselves worthy of the honor. Glaki, you're always ready to help a fellow student understand lessons they struggle with. Alani, since the beginning, you've been willing to defend those who can't help themselves, no matter what the situation calls for. Apart, each of you has earned the respect of your peers and elders, and together, you stand here, close as sisters, finally reaching your goal to become true mages. As symbols of this, I give you these medallions as you take your mage names." Moonstream, the Dedicate Superior of Winding Circle, glanced at a paper with Glaki's and Alani's mage names on it before sliding the medals over the girls' heads. Then she closed her speech with "Congratulations, Glakisa Jadefire and Alani Silverglass. May you always remember your time here and fulfill the responsibilities of a mage."

Alani's heart thudded as she and Glaki turned to face the crowd. She decided that the events yesterday in the Room were worth this. Her dream had been realized, and now she had to follow the path set for her. Rubbing Tanu's ring, Alani felt more confident than ever before.

Several hours later, a special dinner was taking place at one of the best eating houses in Summersea. Glaki and Alani sat with their housemates, Shaia and Calren, their guardians, Lark and Rosethorn, Alani's teachers, Tris and Sandstone, and Glaki's teacher, Dedicate Meadow. Also present were Kethlun Warder, Tris's former student and Glaki's friend and Daja Kisubo, the mage who found Ani (she was also Tris's foster-sister). It was Keth who said, "So, what will you two do now?"

Glaki grinned and replied, "I'm going back to Tharios. Maybe Dema (another friend) can get me mage's work. Even if he can't, I am a Tharian. I've heard a lot's changed there. People are more equal, but things aren't perfect. I want to help people like Mama and Aunt Yali, and like the prathmuni. As a mage, I think I can."

Tris smiled at Glaki. She remembered Tharios, and she hoped Glaki could help too. "So what about you, Alani? Going back to Fatepha?"

Ani took a deep breath. Here it was. The choice hadn't been real...until now.

"Actually, I'm going to Tortall. I've decided that it's high time I tried to find my dad. Besides, in Tortall, I could join the Queen's Riders and be a warrior, or teach ambient magic at their university. I hear their amount of ambient mages is sadly lacking. I like choices, and Tortall will give them to me." Silence followed her words.

"_Tortall!_ That's crazy! It's so far away!" choked Sandstone. Daja shook her head. "It's a risk, especially the part about your dad, but if you want it, go for it."

"It's not as risky as you think. I've been scrying, and every time, I'm looking for my family. In the last two, I'd found them. I know scrying's unreliable, but I also know that if the same idea is repeated, it's more likely to occur." There was a general agreement to this, and the talk moved to the teachers and other adults, who spoke of their adventures while traveling. After a few hours, everyone went home.

Several days passed. Alani and Glaki went to the docks to book passage on ships to Tortall and Tharios. Ironically, both ships left on the same day. That morning, the atmosphere was one of expectation. Packed bags sat near the door as Glaki and Alani ate their last breakfast with those who had become their family. Soon it was time to leave for the harbor. Sandstone, Meadow, Keth, Tris, and Daja met the group from Discipline along the way.

When they reached the docks, both ships were nearing departure. The girls turned to the others, hugging Shai and Cal. They thanked Lark and Rosethorn for watching over them, thanked their teachers for all they'd learned. Glaki hugged Keth. Then both girls turned to the mages responsible for bringing them to the temple. Glaki said to Tris, "When Aunt Yali died, you could have left me to die or else live a horrible life. Instead, you took me in, despite being a kid yourself. I owe you so much." Tris went red, telling Glaki she only did what she felt was right. Alani faced Daja. She knew what had to be said. "I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't seen what I could do. I'd probably be in some mine as punishment for stealing or worse. My mom always said I'd go far. Now I'm proving her right, but I'd never have this chance without you. Thanks isn't enough for that. All I can do is not waste this chance. Then you won't ever regret giving it." Daja shook her head, saying that she knew she wouldn't regret it. The women hugged the girls and Ani and Glaki walked away together. At Glaki's ship, they stopped. The two friends who'd been like sisters for years, stared at each other. There seemed to be nothing to say. Suddenly they rushed at each other, hugging fiercely. "Good luck. And no matter what, you'll be fine. Show those stuffy nobles what you can do!" Glaki declared as they pulled apart. Alani smiled and responded with, " I can't wait to hear what happens in Tharios when you get there! I know you can do so much for them. Prove to everyone what a yaskedasu's daughter can do!" They laughed and Ani walked on, heading for her ship. Reaching it, she went on board and stood at the rail. She waved to her friends as the ship pulled away from the dock. When she could no longer see them, she turned to go below. As she did so, she heard a whisper on the wind. _Very good, my child. Your future awaits you. Go on, and don't look back. _Tanu is indeed with me, Alani thought, realizing that a part of her life was truly over, but a new chapter was starting.


	5. Corus

Disclaimer: Only Alani and any people you don't recognize are mine.

_Chapter 4 – Corus: _Nearly a month later, Alani stood at the ship's rail once again, this time to catch a glimpse of the Tortallan capital, Corus. Two days earlier, the ship had reached the coastal town of Port Caynn, where most boats docked. This one, however, was designed for both river and ocean travel. Thus, instead of dropping anchor, the ship had merely turned down the river Olorun, which would take them to their final stop. They'd already docked in Rajmuat, the capital of the Copper Isles and Kyoto, the capital of the Yamani Isles, where they dropped off and took on passengers. Alani had thrilled to see the two lands, so foreign to and distant from her own world. Now her heart trembled from fear and

anticipation as Corus neared. A native of the city had mentioned that they were close, not to her, but to another fellow passenger. Few people had spoken to the violet–eyed redhead since she'd boarded. It wasn't that Ani was purposely standoffish, it was simply that her mind was elsewhere and so she had little time for pleasantries. Mostly her thoughts were all in the same vein. What if her visions were wrong and they didn't accept her? Well, she thought, then I'll make my own way.

Suddenly the boat slowed. Alani looked up sharply; she'd been in a reverie, staring at the water. The fog cleared and her heart lurched as she realized that her first vision – the one she'd had on Winding Circle's wall – was coming true. There was the city; her thoughts were the same. Alani went below and gathered her things. Soon the boat had stopped completely and she disembarked. Taking a breath, she smiled. As in her vision, the winds welcomed her. She headed toward what appeared to be a market. She needed traveling gear, weapons, and a horse.

About 45 minutes later, Ani left the market, pleased with her purchases. She now carried a short sword, a bow with quiver of arrows, and a new dagger to complement those she owned already. Also, she gained a sturdy, jet-black pony – she rode ponies better than horses – that she named Midnight. In addition to this, she'd traded her travel bags for saddlebags and transferred her belongings to them. Alani had bought provisions, a tent, and a bedroll as well. Most important, though, was her final purchase; a map of Tortall. Pulling it out now, she used Skyfire's map–reading lessons to figure out how to reach Trebond. Alani returned the now–folded map to her belt pouch, secured her saddlebags, and mounted her pony. Turning Midnight north, she set off.

She'd only been riding for a few minutes and had yet to clear the city when two men with the look of thieves blocked her path. Alani sighed. She did_ not_ want to waste time on this! Dismounting, she loosened her dagger in its sheath, but stopped short of drawing it. The man to the left sniggered at her reaction. "Just the horse and money, girlie. We'll even let ye keep your virtue." His companion chortled at that last. Alani scowled and said coolly, "I thank you for the thought, but I'll keep my property _and_ my virtue, I think." Her words were fairly educated, but she let a bit of her old slum accent slip into her voice. The men blinked, taken aback slightly, but soon recovered. Wasting no more time on talk, they lunged. Unwilling to lose any good traveling time to a fight, Alani called the winds. They came, blowing the lowlifes back. "Mage!" one snarled, and they ran off, searching for easier prey. Alani shook her head and got back on Midnight, continuing on. She didn't notice the cloaked man hiding in the shadows who watched her ride away. Once she was gone, he slipped into the crowd, pulling down his hood as he did so. He was a tall man with blond hair and a pleasing face (his nose was too big for good looks). His most noticeable feature was his lively, intelligent hazel eyes. Now those eyes were thoughtful as he mused on the mage–girl. She was an odd one, he decided, but she seemed familiar somehow. Her red hair, that tone of voice, and her cool dispatch of the thieves...if only he'd seen her eyes. It would have helped him considerably. Oh well, he thought. I've other things to think of now. But he put the girl in the back of his mind, to think on later.

A/N: This was kind of a filler chappie so no one tries to hunt me down for not updating. Next time – Alani reaches Trebond and gets the shock of her life. Hee, hee, hee! Oh, by the way, if you don't know who the cloaked guy is, I suggest you reread the Alanna books fast! But if you _really_ need to do that, you need help! No offense.

P.S. – It has been brought to my attention that Alani is somewhat mary–sue. No worries, Annmarie, I'm working on it. Let's just say that Alani's temperament is...well, she got it from her famous aunt. Watch out! Plus, her weapons skills are put to the test in later bits and we learn what she_ can't_ do. Thanks to all my reviewers, but dude, my other stories are withering from lack of support. If you like Alani, you should like my other girls, Ariana and Anaia. (Yes, all 'a' names; not done on purpose.) Just click my author link to find them. I do songfics too! (OK, so I'm desperate, but _please_! I really think you'll like them!)


	6. Surprises At Trebond

Disclaimer: Only Alani and any people you don't recognize are mine.

_Chapter 5 – Surprises At Trebond: _It took 2 weeks for Alani to reach Trebond. When she got there, she noted that the castle was obviously a fortress. It made sense; from the bits of information she'd gleaned from the locals, Ani knew that this area of Tortall was often attacked by raiders from the nearby country of Scanra. Those she'd spoken to said it was simply a matter of time before the two countries went to war. Here, Alani realized, she'd be in the thick of things. How _fun_, she thought dryly. Not that it was important just now. Right then, Alani's chief worry was how to explain herself. A local had said that Trebond was governed by a Baron Coram and his wife, Rispah. As far as _she_ knew, her father was the Lord of Trebond and was named Thom. Had her mother lied? No, she would have seen the lie with her Sight. So what was going on?

At the castle, Alani was stopped by some sort of gate warden. He demanded to know her business. Alani bit down hard on her tongue. Back home, she was often teased for her fiery temperament. Now she struggled for calm as her frustration mounted. Suddenly she remembered something. Her mother had given Ani a signet ring that had belonged to her father. Daja (a smith-mage) had witched it to fit Alani's hand. She tugged it off now and showed it to the guard. "_This_ is my business! I demand to see the baron! _Now_!" She combined her anger with the arrogance of Winding Circle's stuffiest mage, Dedicate Crane.

Palen, the warden, had been at his post for almost 20 years, and had lived at Trebond his entire life. He remembered the children of Lord Alan, and when this strange girl pulled back her hood, she reminded him of them _very_ strongly. Especially the boy...so he allowed her to pass.

A young boy came to lead her pony to the stables. She thanked him and gave him a coin as a tip. He smiled at her and walked Midnight towards the barn. Alani strode up the path leading to the door. Word had been sent fast; a guide waited for her there. He took her to some sort of study, where a brown-haired man and redheaded woman awaited her. The guide left; Alani was alone with these noble strangers. The man spoke first. "Who are ye and where did ye get that Trebond ring?" To her surprise, his speech was common. But he'd asked her a question, and she needed to reply.

"My name is Alani Silverglass – that's my mage surname, my birth name's Jasen – and I'm here to find Thom of Trebond. You see, he's my father. The ring was once his. " They gaped at her, shocked.

The woman recovered first. Quietly she said, "Your father's dead, lass, and has been for fifteen and a half years. Your aunt gave us Trebond to run; we're not your family. But, we can tell you where to find them, your aunt, uncle, and cousins."

Roughly, the man added, "Alanna will be right pleased to meet ye; she's wondered about ye for so long. Ye're her twin's only child, and she promised him she'd find ye. But she didn't have to; ye came on yer own." It was Alani's turn to gape. Alanna...surely not the Lioness, the King's Champion? "Is – is my aunt the..." Oh gods, she couldn't say it. Both of the adults smiled.

"Yes, your aunt is Alanna the Lioness," Rispah told her. "But you needn't act so worried, as Coram says, she's been looking for you. Now, sit down, have a drink with us, and explain where you've been all this time." Grinning, Alani did so.

Three days later, Alani left Trebond with new knowledge. She'd learned so much from Coram and Rispah about her family and what to expect at her new destination, Pirate's Swoop. Pirate's Swoop must be the castle from my vision, she realized, shaking her head. For now, she was retracing her steps; Pirate's Swoop was close to Corus. If she'd known, there'd have been less traveling to do. Oh, well. She needed the time to think. She knew now that her father had not been the best person. He'd resurrected a known traitor as an e_xperiment_, for Tanu's sake! That act had led to his death and a rebellion. Scary. Course, her aunt and others had set things to rights.

Urging Midnight on, Alani rode into the woods. Suddenly, Tanu's ring warmed and there was a flash of amber light. Alani stopped the pony abruptly; apparently she was in for another chat with the goddess.

Tanu walked out to meet her; Ani dismounted quickly. "Hello, daughter. I see that you've learned the truth about your family. Are you bound for Pirate's Swoop?"

Alani scowled at the deity. "Can't you find that out yourself? Anyway, where else would I go? And, just to ask, did you know my father was dead?" Tanu nodded. "Then why didn't you say as much!" she snapped.

Tanu eyed her reprovingly. "Because you didn't need to know. Because it's best for humans, even god-touched ones, to learn some things on their own. Now, all I can say is to watch out. We are at a crossroads, very like the one here shortly after your birth. Only humans can affect the future now; we gods must step back. That is your path, Alani Silverglass, and your fate, to tip the balance, like your aunt and others before you. I will not see you for a time; good luck, Alani!" She disappeared before Ani could reply. Well, the girl thought as she got back on her mount, that's nice and vague. I_ really _hate omens.

A/N: Yes, it's like the chapel scene in LR, but I thought it was good. I've been getting _so_ many reviews; thanks a lot! Next chapter...well, you'll have to wait and see. I know I'm mean, please don't kill me!

P.S: Heads up to fans of Garth Nix's Abhorsen books! A story about Lirael's daughter Ileana is in the works. Keep your eyes peeled!


	7. What George Suspects

Disclaimer: Only Alani and any people you don't recognize are mine.

_Chapter 6 – What George Suspects: _Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop walked into the town house of Myles of Olau, his father-in-law/stepfather, for once barely noticing his surroundings. Despite his best efforts to stop thinking about that girl he'd just seen not an hour earlier, she kept returning to his thoughts. She was too familiar; it made no sense. Unless...she was the girl Alanna had spoken of, Thom's daughter. What was her name? Oh, yes, Alani, after Alanna, George supposed. She'd be in her mid- to late teens now, like that girl. But was it really that likely that the girl _was_ Alani? No more likely than a thief king going noble, he thought wryly, and _he'd_ done that. She was a mage, but not Gifted, like Alanna, or a wildmage, like Daine. No, she was something else, maybe one of those ambient mages Numair seemed obsessed with lately. He kept saying, "We'd have something Carthak doesn't if we added areas for the teaching of ambient and wild magics at the university. But all the ambient mages go to Winding Circle Temple in Emelan; it's the best place to learn. We need to change that." George shook his head; he'd always thought Numair spent too much time worrying about academics. He didn't know how Daine put up with it. Oh, well. That wasn't his problem right now.

His musings were interrupted by a fierce hug from his mother, Eleni. Her husband, Myles, was right behind her. Eleni pulled away, studying her son intently.

"What's wrong, George?" she asked, worried. Myles looked from mother to son, wondering what was going on. George shrugged. "Nothing's _wrong_, Ma, but I've got something to tell you. Can we sit? This will lead to a lot of change and I'll bet you'll want to talk it over." Both stared at him, confused, but they sat. He told them everything about the girl and his suspicions as to who she might be. When he was done, Myles sighed. "I suppose it's possible that this girl is Alani, but we can't jump to conclusions. I'll contact Trebond, doubtless she'll go there if she knows who her father is. I also think both of us should tell our in-country agents to keep an eye out for the girl. But most importantly, you _have_ to tell Alanna. She needs to know that her niece may be in Tortall." George nodded, and then he left.

A few days later, he returned home. His children, especially Aly, greeted him enthusiastically. Their mother walked behind them; Jon had ordered her to take a month's leave. He sent the children off to play and kissed Alanna in greeting. When they pulled apart, she knew something was on his mind. "What? Did something happen in Corus?" He shook his head and sat on the step. She slid down next to him, concerned. He sighed. "It's that girl you told me about. Your niece, Alani. We may have found her."

A/N: Yeah, I know, a bit off the rest of the story, but the idea just wouldn't go away. Alani's back in the next chapter, I swear. Oh, and the brief cameos by Daine and Numair aren't _all_ you'll see of them. That's all I have to say. Goodbye!


	8. The Road

Disclaimer: Only Alani and any people you don't recognize are mine.

_Chapter 7 – The Road:_ Alani had been traveling for three days when she encountered a strange man and woman. Her first realization that something was up came when her pony suddenly turned off the path and galloped toward a man and woman riding far behind her. "What are you _doing_, you idiot pony?" she snapped at Midnight. She didn't want to yell at her mount, but she was mad. The woman leapt off her pony as they approached. Midnight stopped in front of her. Alani's eyes widened as she studied the pair. Both man and woman blazed with magic in her Sight.

"Now, what's this here? You can't do this, you'll hurt your rider," the woman said in a scolding tone. Alani suddenly realized who the couple must be. Daine the Wildmage and Numair Salmalin, the most powerful mage in Tortall. She swallowed hard. Although she did live among legends of a sort back home (most of those she was close to were famous great mages), Emelan had no one as famous as these two.

"You're the Wildmage, aren't you? And you're the greatest mage in Tortall, right? I mean, my pony practically tore the ground up to get to you and you both blaze with magic. I have the Sight, see, so I can tell," Alani said slowly. The man grinned; the woman shook her head and replied, "Yes, that's who we are, but who are you?" Alani blinked, wondering what she should do. She didn't want to use her real name, because she did not want these people to know who her family was. So what name could she use?

"I'm Niamara Bancanor," Alani told them. She was using the name of one of Daja's first students, hoping they'd fall for it. They did; or at least they seemed to. Introductions complete, Numair said, "You have magic too, I see. I have no Sight, but I do see magic." Alani smiled. "I'm an ambient mage, actually. I'm in Tortall to travel and learn about other types of magic." This thrilled Numair; he began to bombard her with questions. Once he learned where she had studied, it only got worse. Daine, obviously used to this, invited Alani to ride to Corus with them. Alani agreed; she enjoyed company, especially when she was worried. Talk always distracted her.

The group traveled until nightfall, when they stopped to make camp. Over dinner, Alani began to ask the questions, eager to learn all she could about Tortall. She was in a good mood until the other two fell asleep. She had had a long day, but she wasn't tired. The talk of Winding Circle had made her homesick, and slowly, she fell into a memory...

**She was 8 years old. Her mother had just died and she was alone in the world. Then, one day, she tried to pick the pocket of a tall, dark-skinned woman who carried a Trader's staff. She got caught. Ani was sure this was the end, but she was wrong. The woman, Daja Kisubo, had seen that Alani had magic, and she was taking her to a place called Winding Circle Temple in Emelan. There she would learn to control her magic. Ani didn't believe Daja when she said that the place she would live at, a cottage called Discipline, would be good for her...until she got there. Her first day, a cheerful girl of her own age named Glaki showed her around. One of the dedicates, Lark, was very kind. She seemed to genuinely care. The other dedicate, Rosethorn, was a bit scary, but Glaki said that she wasn't so bad. Soon Alani found the glassmakers and the fighting practices. Daja introduced her to Tris, a weather mage. She began learning to be a mage. By the time autumn came, Alani finally understood that she was home.**

Alani woke with a start. While she had remembered the past, the memories had become dreams. Near her, Daine and Numair were also waking up. She decided not to think of Emelan; it depressed her. She put on a bright, happy face and continued traveling with her new friends. At Corus, she left them, explaining that she had been in the city (it wasn't a lie) and that she wanted to check out the towns on the coast. They wished her luck and Alani left them. She turned her horse southwest. That way led Pirate's Swoop and her unknown family.

Daine watched Niamara leave. The girl was a bit odd, but still, Daine hoped they'd meet again. Suddenly Numair murmured, "Niamara was lying. Not about her plans, but about her name. It's not Niamara. And did you notice? Red hair and violet eyes. Who do we know with the same eyes and hair?" Daine frowned. "So you're saying that Niamara is Alani, that niece Alanna's been searching for?" she asked him. He nodded. Daine frowned, thinking. She knew that George had seena girl who might have been Alani last week. Had they met the same girl?

A/N: Bold print means flashback and underlined italic print is visions, so you're not confused. Thanks for the reviews. Oh, and to explain why Glaki and Alani are the only people other than the COM crew to get their credentials early, Glaki started learning really young and Alani's dad _was_ the youngest Master ever. Like father, like daughter. I'll try to update soon. Bye!


	9. Family

Disclaimer: Only Alani and any people you don't recognize are mine.

_Chapter 8 – Family:_ Four days later, Alani reached Pirate's Swoop It looked just like the vision she'd had. The tree-lined path, the village, the castle with its flags, all the same. Here we go, she thought. Her heart was pounding, her face clammy. She could barely hold Midnight's reins, her hands were so shaky and sweat-slicked. She stopped at the crest of the hill, looking down at the village below. She shut her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to fall into the patterns of meditation. It worked a little; she calmed slightly. Opening her eyes, she urged Midnight down and into the town of Pirate's Swoop.

Alani stayed at the village inn, called The Laughing Dog, for three days. It took that long for her to gather her courage. Despite the assurances of Coram and Rispah, she still wasn't sure of her welcome in her aunt's home. They had said her _aunt_ had searched for her; but Alanna was married. Would her husband want Alani around? And the couple had three kids; what of them?

What Alani did not know was that at that moment, as she thought of the family she didn't know, the aunt and uncle she dwelled on were thinking of her. It had been almost four weeks since George had sighted the girl who might be Thom's daughter Alani, but Alanna had been unable to think of much else since George had told her the story. They had yet to hear from Trebond, so there was no way of knowing if the girl truly was Alani. Both Alanna and George knew this, but

Alanna couldn't let it go. George understood why, but he was beginning to worry about it. So he tried to distract her; it never worked. Finally he said, "Lass, you've got to stop worrying. If it's her, she'll come; if not, well, we'll just have to find the real Alani." Alanna turned to her husband, sighing. "I know I'm a bit obsessed. But she's all that's left of Thom. I just feel like I'm failing him because I can't find her. However, you're right. I need to concentrate on something else. I'm just trying to figure out what. There _are_ several choices, after all." George grinned wickedly. Alanna laughed and made sure the bedroom door was locked. After all, there are times children just should _not_ walk in on their parents.

Finally, Alani decided she'd dawdled long enough. What would Skyfire say if he saw her now? He'd always said that worrying was useless; best to act and have done with it. If he could see her now, he'd trounce her in five seconds flat. The thought made her grin; it comforted her to think of things from home when she was scared. She reached into one of her bags, pulling out a violet tunic with a pair of silver leggings. It was one of her better outfits, one Lark had given her for her fifteenth birthday. She put on a pair of amethyst eardrops with a matching pendant and combed her hair thoroughly. She wanted to make a good impression. Just to be safe, she slid two daggers into hidden sheaths inside her boots before putting the boots on. Putting on her cloak (used to Emelan, she found spring in Tortall to be a bit chilly) she went to the inn's stables, saddled Midnight, and rode for the castle of Pirate's Swoop.

It took about 10 minutes to reach her destination. When she rode up, a door warden came to meet her, like at Trebond. He asked her name and her business. Alani drew back her hood , trying to figure out what to say. She remembered Coram's advice then and took it. "I'm Alani of Trebond, and I'm here to speak with the Baron and the Baroness." She showed him the signet ring as proof. He frowned, then called a hostler to take Midnight and a guide for her. He also sent a runner to inform the Baron and the Baroness that they would have company.

George and Alanna were merely talking at this point when there came a gentle knock on the door. "Yes?" Alanna called. "Um, my lord, my lady, there's a young woman to see you. She says her name's Alani of Trebond." Alanna and George looked at one another. "Send her to the study," George said, eyes not leaving his wife's. "We'll be waiting there for her." When the boy left, they hurried down to the study.

Alani followed her guide, trying to remain calm. It was hard, especially when the message runner caught them and said that she was to be taken to the Baron's study. This was it. Her guide left her after opening a door for her, signaling that she should go in. Alani took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold. Time to get your feet wet, she thought.

Alanna felt very odd as she studied the young woman walking towards her and George. Alani was Thom through and through. She carried herself the same way, lifted her head the same way. She touched the emberstone, noting that Alani fairly blazed with magic, but not the Gift. Interesting.

George wasn't surprised to see the young mage from Corus appear as Alani. He'd had his suspicions all along, and was glad to have them confirmed. The lass carried herself like her father, but she didn't seem as cold or as proud as Thom had been. That was good, he thought, remembering what Thom's pride had led to. He shook off such memories. He was curious about this girl, and he was ready to find out more.

Alani wasn't sure she liked this silent scrutiny, though it gave her a chance to study her aunt and uncle in turn. Her uncle had brown-blond hair, a large nose, and lively hazel eyes. He wasn't handsome, but his face was pleasing. He was very alert, and seemed aware of everything around him. She decided she liked him. Her aunt...well, it was a shock just _looking_ at the Lioness. Meeting her aunt's gaze was like staring into her own. Alanna's hair was a lighter shade of red than Alani's, but it was still similar. Most of all, the woman reminded her of her father's picture. Those two were certainly twins. Alani swallowed hard. "Um, I'm not really sure what to say except I think we're related. I hope you don't mind." She knew how dumb that sounded, but what exactly _should_ she say? She noticed that both adults were grinning.

Alanna suddenly realized that Alani must be somewhat nervous. It made sense; she'd be nervous too in this situation. "Trust me, Alani, we are. You are very like your father, you know that? It's a bit startling, actually," Alanna told her niece. Alani smiled. "Ma always used to say I was like him. I guess she was right."

George couldn't help it; he was a curious man. He asked, "So, Alani, where've you been all these years? We tried to find you, but no luck." Alani sighed. "Could I sit down before I tell you? It's a bit of a long story." They nodded, and she slid into a chair. Then she told them about her childhood in Fatepha. She explained about her mother's death and how Daja found her. She continued with her years at Winding Circle and her travels to get to Pirate's Swoop. When she was done, Alanna asked, "Why lie to Daine and Numair? Why not use your real name?" Alani replied with, "I didn't want all sorts of questions and the like. A fake name simplified things."

It was then that George got to the point. "Alani, where are you going to live while in Tortall? Have you any plans?" Ani shrugged. "I was staying at the inn down in the village. Guess I can't stay there forever, though." Alanna scowled. "You'll stay here with us, of course. George, why'd you even ask?" He smiled. "I wanted to be sure she'd not made other arrangements, lass."

Alani was slightly stunned. "I can stay? I can really stay?" she whispered. Her aunt stared at her. "Of course you can! Why wouldn't you be able to?" Alani explained, "I guess I just expected to be sent away. Most nobles would do that to someone like me."

"Well, we're not 'most nobles', lass. Now go get anything you left at that inn and get back here," George told her. Alani laughed and went to do so. When she was gone, he turned to his wife. Alanna was smiling, obviously thrilled.

Back at The Laughing Dog, Alani packed her things. For a moment, she laid a hand on her mage's kit. It was a wooden chest with a design of rose vines painted on it. The chest had been where Ani's mother, Salaya, had kept her valuables. Most of those – primarily jewelry – had been stolen, but to Alani, the chest itself carried the most value. It was a reminder of her mother and her childhood. These days it was filled with blowpipes, coloring agents, crucibles, antimony, magnesium, and other materials for the making of glass. It also held a light globe, several other magical objects, strings with breezes tied in them, her scrying mirror, books of magic, and her mage's medallion. The kit was her most prized posession. She fastened the special strap that allowed her to carry it on a shoulder – it carried a lot but wasn't terribly large – and took it and her other packs out. She paid the innkeeper, put the saddlebags on Midnight, slung her kit's shoulder strap on, and mounted her horse, riding off.

This time, a servant met her and brought her to a bedroom. There was a small bathroom off it, and better yet, there was a hidden stair that led to a tower room perfect for use as a workroom. She was nearly brought to tears, realizing that she had found what she'd set out to find, a family that accepted her.

There was a note for her on the nightstand. It said that when she was settled in, come down to the study again. There she would meet her cousins, Thom, Alan, and Alianne. Alani was ready; she could unpack later. So she left her room and realized she didn't know where to go. Luckily, a maid was nearby and she took Alani back to the study.

Once again, Ani stepped into that room to meet strangers who were related to her. This time, though, they were all kids even younger than she was. Thom, the eldest, was twelve. He had red hair and hazel eyes. Alan and Alianne were twins, and they were ten. They both had reddish-blond hair but like their father and brother, their eyes were hazel. Alianne, who told Ani that she prefered Aly, started asking questions almost right away. Alani decided that Aly was very like George. Alan listened to his sister's queries and Ani's responses, but he was quiet. Thom just watched her, gaze level and cool. Why, thought Alani, do I have the feeling Thom doesn't like me?

Actually, Thom _didn't_ like Alani. He'd known she existed for years and that his parents had tried to find her, but he'd never expected them to really find her. Now here she was, and as crazy as it was, Thom felt threatened. Already Aly was going nuts over this new cousin, and Alan seemed to like her too. His mother was thrilled and his father didn't seem to have any problems with her. It wasn't right. He was the oldest, and he was planning to be the family mage. This girl was four years older than he was _and_ she already had a mage's credential. She wasn't Gifted – she had something called ambient magic – but still. He sighed, aware that he wasn't giving this new cousin a fair chance. Well, he thought, I'll give it some time. Maybe she'll grow on me.

Alan wasn't sure what he thought of Alani. Aly loved her, his mother was happy that her niece was safe and with them, and Da had no problems with her, but it was obvious that Thom disliked her. Alan decided to wait and see. He wanted to get to know this girll before he decided anything.

Aly, though, knew where she stood. She liked Alani already. The girl didn't mind all her questions and she seemed nice. Aly knew Thom was upset and was pretty sure why. She thought his fears were silly, but he'd realize that himself soon.

Alani lay in bed later that night, thinking about her day. It had gone fairly well. Her family was welcoming – except for Thom, but hopefully he'd like her once he got to know her. As she slid into sleep, one last thought popped into her head. All of this is good, so where's that 'crossroads' Tanu was going on about? Unless...it's coming, and I just can't see it. Uh-oh.

A/N: Hey, she's at Pirate's Swoop! And I gave you a longer chapter! Aren't you proud of me? I hope so; all this typing hurts my wrists. So, I leave you now with a solemn request: Dude, review!


	10. Settling In

Disclaimer: Only Alani and any people you don't recognize are mine.

_Chapter 9 – Settling In:_ The life at Pirate's Swoop took some getting used to. Alani soon discovered that her cousin Aly wasn't likely to give her any peace. Aly liked to ask questions and Alani found herself the target of most of them. Though, to be fair, it made sense. If _she_ had been the one who had just had a cousin come to live with _her_ from the other side of the world, she'd be asking questions too.

Also, there was Alan, Aly's twin. He was very quiet, and tended to just listen to what Aly and Alani said. But there were times he ventured a query or two of his own, mostly about her lessons with Skyfire, Hawk, and the other dedicates she'd had fighting practice with. Alani wondered if Alan might be intending to follow in his mother's footsteps and become a knight.

Her oldest cousin, Thom, was something else entirely. He continued to watch her in silence, often with narrowed eyes. After about a week, Alani had had enough. If Thom disliked her, she at least had a right to know why. So she confronted him. Going to the library, she found him poring over books of magic. She walked over to him. "Hello, Thom. Can I talk to you?" He turned around, scowling, and shrugged. She took that as a grudging yes, so she pulled over a chair. Not bothering to turn it around, she straddled it, resting her arms on the back. "What do you want?" her cousin demanded. Alani sighed.

"I know you don't like me very much, Thom. I'd kinda like knowing why." She met his gaze squarely and waited for his response. He glared at her. "It's not fair," he snapped. "I'm the oldest, and I wanted to be the family mage. Then you come along. You're 16, four years older than me, and you're an accredited mage! You have what I want. That's why I don't like you."

Alani stared at him. Thom was_ jealous_? "Oh. Thom, listen. I can't take your place with your parents or anyone else even if I wanted to. Besides, I'm sure you'll make a better mage than me any day." When he continued to scowl, she lost her temper. "You don't believe me? Still want my life? Fine! I guess you want to be an orphan too, huh? Guess you want to be hundreds of miles away from all your friends, sitting with a cousin who's jealous for no reason? That's my life, Thom." She got up and walked out, leaving a stunned boy gaping behind her.

Alani went back to her room and slammed the door. Then she stormed up the steps to her workroom, where she sank onto a stool, shaking with anger and homesickness. The skirmish with Thom had caused her mind to flood with memories. Thom wanted to be a mage, accredited early like she was. Silly idiot. She thought of Daja, a great mage who didn't even discover her power until her entire family was killed and she'd been made an outcast. She remembered Tris, who was just as powerful, whose uncontrolled weather magic had once caused her parents to give her away, abandoning their daughter when she needed them. Then there was Glaki. Tris had taken a 4-year-old Glaki in and discovered the small girl's magic after both Glaki's mother and foster mother had been killed. She thought of herself, wandering the streets after her mother's death. Thom didn't know what he was talking about.

To make things worse, she missed Emelan. She missed days spent in Tris's store where she sold books and magical artifacts, learning about the winds and talking about books. She missed going to Daja's house on Sunsdays, where they talked or sparred with staves. She missed Discipline, where she and her housemates chatted on the roof, and she missed Shai's cooking experiments, and Lark's jokes, Cal's pranks, and even Rosethorn's sharpness. She missed walking with Glaki, talking about anything and everything.

Mixed in with the anger and homesickness was guilt. Life here wasn't that bad, despite her homesickness. She shouldn't have lost her temper with Thom. She knew the damage a sharp tongue could cause, and she certainly had not made a friend of Thom to begin with. Now, she'd probably ruined any chance of working things out with him.

Noise outside her window nudged her out of her reverie. She walked over and looked outside. Her aunt, uncle, and cousins were outside. She watched as they played games, and a lump rose into her throat. How could Thom be jealous? Despite everything, she was still the outsider here, and she knew it.

What she didn't know was that Alanna saw her niece watching. The Lioness didn't like the sadness in Alani's expression, and she was determined to do something about it.

After dinner that night, Alani returned to her workroom. She surveyed the space critically, figuring out what she needed. There was already a furnace, but she still needed an annealing oven. The shelves were sturdy enough, but she needed hooks for her wind-strings. Her glassmaking supplies were enough for now, but she would eventually need more. She returned to her room, where at a small desk, she wrote a list of everything she would need. Tomorrow she'd check the village; if they didn't have something, she would take a day to ride to Port Caynn.

Her plans were interrupted by a knock at the door. It was her aunt. "Hello, Alani. May I come in?" Alani nodded. Alanna strode in and sat on the edge of the bed. She patted the area beside her. "Sit with me. I'd like to talk to you." Alani sat. Alanna continued, "I saw you at the window earlier. You seemed upset. Why?

Alani sighed. "I guess I'm just feeling homesick. After all, I lived in Emelan for 8 years. I've been through this before, when Daja first brought me to the temple. I'll be fine."

Alanna nodded in understanding. She remembered her own homesickness back when she went looking for the Dominion Jewel. "Well, why don't we make you feel more at home? Come join us in the library. We spend evenings there, and it's very cozy." She noticed Alani's list and picked it up. "What's this?" she wanted to know.

"Oh, that's um, well, it's stuff I need for my magic. For glassmaking, and the like. I can pay for it. I've a fair amount of money and most of it's been changed to Tortallan coin." Alanna nodded. "Well, if you need help, just ask. Now come on," she ordered. Alani followed her out.

At first, the evenings in the library reminded her too much of time spent in the main room at Discipline, but as the weeks went on, that changed. Soon Alani was deeply involved in family life. The pangs of homesickness faded, replaced by contentedment at her new life.

A/N: Sorry I took so long to update, but my inspiration went on vacation. I know this was basically a filler chapter, but I needed some bonding to go on. There will be some interesting things next chapter, but I'm not telling...


	11. Never Duel With Lady Knights

1Disclaimer: Alani is mine, and that's about it.

**_Chapter 10 - Never Duel With Lady Knights:_** Alani leaned out of the open window in her bedroom one morning after breakfast, listening to the bits of local gossip carried to her on the winds. She grinned at the voice of a harried young mother scolding her little boy for trying to eat a bug, but the grin turned into a scowl when she heard one woman say to another, "Kissing each other like it was right! Two women! I've half a mind to kick them out! Have them find some new landlady as immoral as they are." The other woman replied that it was the best idea, and Alani slammed her window shut in disgust. "Stupid, prejudiced _kaqs,_" she hissed, using the Trader word for non-Traders that literally meant 'dirt under foot.' While Alani herself was attracted to boys, not other girls, she knew 2 women in Emelan who were, and one who was attracted to both males and females. Love is love, Alani thought. Who cares about the details?

Alani was still in an irritable mood when Aly came to the door, but she forced a smile onto her face for the younger girl. "Alani, you'd better get downstairs. Aunt Thayet's coming!" After this announcement, Aly ran off again. Alani stood stunned for a minute. Aunt Thayet...? Oh, gods, that had to mean the queen! Sure, Alani knew Duchess Sandrilene of Emelan, but she was Tris and Daja's foster sister, so it wasn't too weird. That, and Sandry hated all that fawning and standing at attention most royal personages expected. But this Thayet was supposedly the most beautiful woman in the world, so... and yet Thayet had also formed the Queen's Riders. Alani shook her head. This was too confusing. She would have to wait and see what Thayet was like.

Alani went downstairs and noticed that her relatives were outside, so she joined them. She was just in time to see 3 people ride up. As she walked out the door, a large man with black hair and beard leapt off his charger and pulled Alanna into a one-armed hug. Alanna yelled, "Gods, Raoul! Are you trying to break every bone in my body?"

The man called Raoul laughed and let go. "No," he replied. "Just suffocate you a bit." Alanna slapped his arm, but laughed all the same. The other horses bore women. The one, a small dark-haired woman, remarked, "These big ones are insufferable, eh?" Raoul looked at her. "Buri," he said in a wounded voice, "that's unfair." Aly giggled and the third woman chuckled, drawing Alani's eyes. She suddenly found herself amazed. The third woman had jet-colored hair, dancing hazel eyes, and... she was simply stunning. Alani was jealous. If she had half the looks of this woman...

As Alani suspected, the beautiful woman was Queen Thayet. When Alani tried to bow, though (she had leggings on, not a skirt), she was ordered not to do so. "Please," the queen said, "don't do that. Your aunt and uncle are two of my best friends, and your cousins see me as family. You don't have to do any of that bowing nonsense."

Alani blushed. "Sorry, Your Majesty." Thayet groaned. "It's Thayet. And I'll forgive you all of it if you tell us about Emelan over lunch. I've heard of the country, but with the distance..."

Alani shook her head. Everyone always wanted to know about Emelan! She wished Glaki was here, or Lark. They were good storytellers. Alani really wasn't. Just then George said, "So, what brings you all out here, anyway?" The three travelers shared a glance, and then Raoul said, "Jon, of course. He's decided he's not waiting on Alanna's temper any longer and is pretty much ordering you all back to court." Thayet scowled. "His excuse is your niece. He says that she need s to be presented at court and such," she added. Alani winced. She wasn't sure what had happened to make her aunt angry at the king (because she was certain 'Jon' was King Jonathan), but she hated that she was the excuse for the command.

The third woman, who had been silent until now, saw her wince. "Jon would've used a different excuse if you hadn't come along, Alani. By the way, I'm Buriram Tourakom, but call me Buri." Alani nodded. Alanna sighed. "Well, let's not let your news spoil the visit. Come on, lunch should be out now."

The topics of Emelan and Raoul's latest adventures as Knight Commander of the King's Own got them through the meal, but when they finished, Raoul said, "There's something I'd like to see. Alani, you said you were trained in the use of a sword?" Alani nodded, confused. "Good," Raoul said. "You and Alanna should have a duel. A family thing, just to see who is the better female fighter in the house." Alani glanced at Alanna in alarm, and saw that her aunt had a thoughtful expression on her face. I am in a great deal of trouble, Alani decided.

She was indeed. Alanna decided she liked the idea, and everyone else seemed to think it would be fun to watch, so Alani had no choice. And so that was why she was found in a padded vest 20 minutes later, holding a longsword. She hated longswords. Her favorite type of blade was the Fatephan kesari, which was longer than the average short sword, but a few inches shorter than a weapon like the one Alani had now. She didn't have a kesari, or she might have used it, and her short sword would disadvantage her too much. Alani stretched as Skyfire had taught her, noticing that Alanna too stretched, though with different positions than Alani had been taught.

Several minutes later, stretch time ended. Alanna and Alani began their fight. Alani was stunned. Alanna was way too fast for her. It was nearly impossible to keep up her defense, and she definitely was unable to even think about her offense, until one second, when Alanna left a gap. Alani lunged, but it wasn't enough, though she did gain a bit of ground. The two redheads circled, lashing out, but neither really getting very far, until Alanna maneuvered her blade so that Alani's was knocked out of her hand. Alanna's blade snaked up to kiss Alani's neck. "Yield," Alani whispered, breathless. She'd only had an experience like that with Skyfire, and that had ended much the same way.

"Remind me never to do that again," Alani muttered to Aly and Alan as they came over, wanting to know why she was slumped against a tree. "Do what?" Aly asked, her voice innocent. Alani raised her eyebrows. "Duel your mother. I feel like I've been through a day of Skyfire's training and the fight only lasted 15 minutes!" she said sardonically. She heard a laugh. Thayet had come over. "Shoo," she told the twins. They went, and Thayet sat beside Alani.

"She's good, isn't she?" the queen asked. Alani nodded fervently. Thayet continued, "I just want to warn you, Court... well, it won't be a walk in the park. People will carp at you for being born out of wedlock, and for your father's foolishness, and even because of your aunt. There are plenty of people who think she's immoral." Alani shrugged. "People always looked down on me for being a bastard. And as for immoral, well, there's a saying that mages have the morals of cats, so that won't bother me. But Alanna's agreed to go? Why is she mad at the king anyway?"

Thayet shook her head. "He's her liege lord, and she has to obey him. And as for why she's upset, have you heard the name Keladry of Mindelan?" Alani shook her head and Thayet continued. "Well, she's the first official girl page, but people think that Alanna succeeded due to her Gift and so Keladry, who is no mage, will only become a knight if she is helped along. Alanna is suspect, for obvious reasons, so to keep the peace, my lord said she can't have any contact with Keladry."

Alani scowled. "I think the king is a bit of a _hamot_," she remarked without thinking, and then flushed. Thayet looked at her quizzically. Alani muttered, "A hamot is an idiot. It's Tradertalk, which I picked up from the smith-mage I mentioned, Daja."

Thayet laughed. "Well," she told the girl, "you're right, and I've told him so, but he never listens." This made Alani laugh, and soon she forgot her aches, and even forgot that she was soon to be presented at a court of strangers. But she was definitely not going to duel her aunt again anytime soon. She was no fool.

A/N: (cringes) OK, I have no excuse except invasion! New characters appeared and demanded that their stories be told! Then my computer crashed, and well... it's been a comedy of errors! And yes, I know this wasn't very good, but I found the fight idea amusing, and Court should be delightfully awkward. Oh, and about the lesbian/bi women mentioned in the first paragraph, if you've read _Will of the Empress_, you know who they are, but if you haven't, well, you can ask, and I'll tell you in a review reply, but I don't want to spoil anything for those who want to read it. By the way, I need advice. There's a possibility of a new TP fic, an AU COM story where there are 5 kids, not 4. Tell me if you like the idea or not!


	12. Back To Corus

Disclaimer: Alani's mine, but not much else is!

**_Chapter 11 - Back To Corus:_** Thayet, Raoul, and Buri left the next day. A week after that, the Pirate's Swoop party left as well. Alani rode next to Aly, on a borrowed horse, since Midnight would be hard-pressed to keep up if Alani rode her. They had been riding for a few hours when they were met by Daine and Numair, who were returning to Court as well. As soon as Numair caught sight of Alani, he said triumphantly, "I knew it! You _are_ Alani, Niamara!" Alani winced. She urged her horse over to the couple.

"About that," she began. "I only lied to avoid awkward questions. I'm sorry." They shrugged. "It doesn't matter," Daine assured the younger girl, and Alani smiled.

The rest of the two-day ride was uneventful. But then, they were at the gates of Corus, and Alanna sighed. "I can't believe he's doing this," she muttered darkly. George murmured something to her the others couldn't hear, and Alanna relaxed slightly.

To Alani's surprise, they didn't go to the palace, but to the townhouse of Alanna's adoptive father, Myles of Olau. Alanna said, "I may be forced to appear at Court, but I won't live there." Alani wondered if she got her stubbornness from her aunt. Maybe it was something in the Trebond blood.

Myles and his wife, Eleni - who was also George's mother, making Alanna and George almost stepsiblings besides being married, which Alani felt was a bit strange - were very hospitable. They were glad to see the family, and pleased to meet her. Once again, she found herself telling tales of Emelan, but what amused her was that Aly, who'd asked for these stories more than anyone, could now finish them herself. So she did have help.

On her second day in Corus, Alani went exploring, feeling hemmed in. It was easy to let go of homesickness in wide-open Pirate's Swoop, where the air was scented by the sea, like back home, but here in Corus... it just wasn't the same. Alani sighed. These bouts of homesickness were quite annoying. She returned to the house, but only to get her borrowed horse, Shadow. She decided to ride up to the university, which was just outside Corus's borders. Numair had talked about the place to her until she'd wanted to scream, but his words had aroused her curiosity despite that.

Alani got directions from her uncle, and after about a half hour, she arrived at the university. A hostler took her horse and Alani wandered in. She wasn't really sure what she meant to do here, but she didn't get the chance to find out.

"Um, who exactly are you?" a voice said. Alani spun to see a man of average height and build. He shimmered with magic in her Sight.

She sighed. "Alani of Trebond. I'm here to look around. I've heard a lot about this place." The man smiled wryly.

"I'm Harailt of Aili, the Head of the Mages' School. Numair told me all about you. You're from Winding Circle in Emelan, right?" Alani nodded. She probably shouldn't have. She spent the rest of the day among the mages, all of whom wanted to know about ambient magic, how it worked, and how to teach it. As it turned out, they wanted to create an entire area at the university for ambient mages, but their knowledge was so limited that they had no hope of reaching this goal without help.

Alani agreed to help where she could, but she wasn't sure what she could do. They finally let her leave, and she fled back to Myles' townhouse. Alanna met her outside, looking unhappy. "There are seamstresses here. They need your measurements for court clothes. We go tomorrow." Alani grimaced and went in. Court. What would it be like?

A/N: This was dumb, I know, but I needed to establish a connection with the university because Alani is going to be involved with them.


	13. Court

Disclaimer: Alani's mine, but not much else is!

A/N: I have to make a few corrections here. Earlier I said that Alani had the Sight in a strength that matched Aly's. I'm changing that. She can see magic, and she can distinguish what type of magic it is, the strength, and any other details - but only about magic. The rest of it is being dropped. Also, in her vision, she was being escorted down the steps at Court by her cousin, meaning Thom. Well, I'm not sure Thom's old enough for Court, so it'll just be Alani, Alanna, and George, no kids.

**_Chapter 12 - Court:_** The next night, Alani, Alanna, and George left Sir Myles' house for the palace. Alani was nervous; she wondered what to expect. Myles and Eleni had counseled her on how to behave, but she was still unsure of herself. George pulled his horse beside hers. "You'll do fine, lass," he said comfortingly. Alani gave him a slight smile.

A half hour later, they stood in the chambers outside the doors of the Great Stair in the Queen's ballroom. Alani was amazed at the beauty of this place. She glanced at her aunt and uncle. Alanna wore a violet knee length tunic and full white breeches. The statement was obvious; she may be female, but she was a knight as well, and she was not going to appear before the court in traditional women's garb. George wore a russet tunic and dark green hose. Alani herself wore a silvery ballgown. For comfort, she wore a violet sash Lark had given her, and the amethyst eardrops and pendant Daja had made her for her sixteenth birthday, the purple jewels sparkling in silver settings. Her hair had grown out in her months in Tortall; it was long enough to be twisted into a bun, with a few curled tendrils hanging free.

The herald opened one door and banged on the floor three times with his iron staff. "Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop. Sir Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau. Lady Alani Silverglass of Trebond." He'd given her mage name. That would cause some curiosity about her. Great. She went down the stairs, walking between her aunt and uncle, trying to ignore the whispers.

They descended the steps and walked to the King and Queen's thrones, and Alani got her first glimpse of King Jonathan the Fourth. He was a handsome man, with coal-black hair and beard, and sapphire eyes. Jonathan nodded in acknowledgement, and they moved aside. Alanna's eyes were blazing; Alani could tell her aunt was angry. She followed her relatives to a cluster of nobles, all of the same age group as her aunt and uncle. She didn't know how to behave. She smiled when they introduced themselves, but had no idea what to say. Then she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned to see a tall young man with auburn hair and deep green eyes. Her breath caught in her throat. She recognized this boy from her vision. "Hello," he said. He had a light, pleasant voice. "I'm Jaden of Arania. Would you like to dance?"

"Alright," said Alani. She said goodbye to her aunt and uncle and allowed Jaden to lead her to the dance floor. He was an excellent dancer, and Alani was grateful that she'd learned to dance back in Emelan. She wasn't amazing, but she wouldn't embarrass herself. When the dance was over, Jaden led her to his group of friends. He introduced them. The freckled redhead was Michel of Seabeth and Seajen, the small blonde girl was Tereze of Shaila, the tall, dark boy (whom she recognized as a Bazhir) was Khurram ibn Jitari from Persopolis, and the final young woman was Princess Kalasin of Conte. She shared her father's hair and eyes. Alani bowed, but Kalasin, like her mother, told her not to. Michel flashed Alani a charming grin.

"So, why do they call you 'Silverglass'?" he wanted to know. Alani sighed.

"I'm a mage, trained in Emelan, across the Eastern Ocean. There mages choose a name for themselves once they receive their credential."

"You're an accredited mage?" said Khurram, sounding surprised. "How old are you?" Alani blushed.

"Sixteen. But I was young for training; only eight. And don't ask me to do anything impressive; my power works through glassmaking and wind, and I refuse to start a tornado in here." They laughed.

"So," Kalasin asked. "Are you going to work at the university?"

"Maybe. I was toying with the idea of joining the Riders." Tereze shuddered.

"I'm deathly afraid of horses, ponies, anything like that. I always ride in a carriage because I'm so scared. Still, I suppose being a Rider could be interesting." Kalasin scowled.

"I wanted to try for my knighthood, but my father said no. I have to make a good political match. My brother Roald over there," - she pointed to a young, black haired man across the room - "he's going to marry a Yamani princess."

"And who are you going to marry?" Alani asked.

"Emperor Kaddar of Carthak. By all accounts he's a decent man, but his people don't take well to female warriors, so I couldn't be a knight."

"At least you know you'll be marrying a good man," Tereze said ruefully. "I have no idea who my parents will pick for me."

"They'll pick someone decent and appropriate, I assume," Khurram said, and the trace of bitterness in his voice, as well as the slight emphasis on the word 'appropriate' made Alani wonder if Khurram wanted to marry Tereze himself. But she knew that he couldn't; she'd heard that the Bazhir were scorned by many white Tortallans.

The young people chatted amiably for the rest of the night, and Alani gradually relaxed. She was still a bit out of her element, but this was part of her heritage too, and she liked her new friends. Still, when they returned to Sir Myles' townhouse, Alani was more than ready for her bed and good night's sleep. Court was interesting, but tiring.

A/N: I"m sorry this took so long; but as you all know, my muses are very unpredictable.


	14. Keladry

Disclaimer: Alani's mine, but not much else is!

**_Chapter 14 - Keladry:_** The next day, Alani went back up to the palace. She wanted to talk to Numair about the university, and he and Daine were staying there.

But, her curiosity got the better of her, and she didn't head straight for their quarters. Instead, she wandered over to the practice courts. It was a rest day; highly unlikely that anyone would be there.

But someone was. Alani judged the jousting rider to be either a page or squire. He was big, with short-cropped brown hair. The horse was huge; a strawberry roan that seemed fierce. The rider was good; he didn't miss the quintain's shield once. Alani clapped to let the rider know he was being observed.

He quickly reined in his horse and looked for the source of the clapping, brown-hazel eyes widening at the sight of Alani. And Alani realized the joke was on her; the rider was a girl.

"Hello there," the redhead called. "You're very good." The girl looked at her impassively, like a Trader. Or a Yamani, from what she'd heard.

"Thank you. Not to be rude, but who are you?" Alani chuckled.

"Oh, sorry. Alani Silverglass - er, Alani of Trebond. Either one. And you're Keladry of Mindelan. My aunt has a vested interest in you." Keladry blinked.

"Your aunt?"

"Lady Alanna." Keladry's eyes lit up; calm facade or not, the girl obviously looked up to Alanna.

"But then... Trebond? Silverglass?"

"My aunt's home fief, and my father's. I'm a mage as well, from the west, which is why I have two names." Alani smiled ruefully.

Keladry nodded her understanding. "Are you new to the palace?"

"Very," Alani replied. "It seems nice enough, but I'm a commoner born and raised, and all this fanciness makes me edgy." She grinned to show she was kidding.

Keladry smiled slightly. "I lived among Yamanis for most of my life, so I'm used to fancy things, though of a different style. You'll get used to it."

Alani laughed. "I hope so. Well, it was nice talking to you, Keladry. Good luck with page training." She waved at the girl and left.

A/N: Yes, another filler, but I've had the idea in my head for too long; I couldn't resist.


	15. The Effects of Writing Home

Disclaimer: Alani's mine, but not much else is!

_**Chapter 14 - The Effects of Writing Home:**_ Alani sent off the latest batch of letters. She'd heard of a ship leaving for Emelan, and had quickly gotten them together and given them to the captain. Now she would have to wait for replies.

She kept busy over the next couple of weeks, spending her time at Court or at the university. Two weeks after arriving in Corus, her relatives went home to Pirate's Swoop. Alani, caught up in her work with the university mages, didn't. Myles and Eleni offered to let her stay with them, but King Jonathan gave her quarters in the palace. It made things convenient.

She enjoyed spending time with her young noble friends as well. Jaden dragged her out on rides with him, Khurram, Michel, and Kalasin - Tereze's fear kept her from joining them - and to some of the Court gatherings. He and the other boys were young knights who, as of yet, did not have border duty. They were restless, and only getting more so. Kalasin, meanwhile, was getting edgy, as the date of her official betrothal approached.

"But haven't you known for a few years?" Alani asked. They were walking together in the gardens one evening, having escaped from the party. Kalasin grimaced.

"Well, yes, but it wasn't official, you see. As long as it wasn't official, I could pretend that it wasn't going to happen. I could... It's not that I'm not ready to do what I have to. And Kaddar's a good man, from what I know."

"Daine likes him, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she said that. But I'm a bit nervous all the same. I've never met the man, and he is six years older than I am."

"George is older than Alanna, and look at Daine and Numair."

"But they chose each other. And I don't know why I'm talking to you about this. I guess you remind me of Alanna."

"People keep saying that."

"Well, you do look like her." Kalasin sighed. "What's it like, to not worry about making a political marriage?"

"I've very little idea, Kally. I'm not really looking for romance, so the freedom I have is one I haven't used as of yet."

"What about Jaden?"

"A noble, who will be expected to make a proper marriage himself."

"You're noble."

"Not really. I'm a bastard, anyway. So I'm not proper."

"True." Kally sighed again. "I wish I had a choice. I wish I could get to know Kaddar before I have to meet him. We won't even meet until I go to Carthak."

"What? He won't come here for the betrothal!?" Alani was stunned.

"No, the betrothal is by proxy. His ambassador will stand in. He's got too much to do, with the rebels that still haven't been quashed."

"Now that's insane. I'd heard about marriages like that, but it's so stupid. If you've never met, how are you supposed to... er..." She broke off.

"Share a bed?" Kally suggested dryly.

"Well, yes."

"People do it all the time. You're telling me men always know the women they pay to bed?"

"No, but that's... well, it's a one-time thing. And that's not all I meant. People should get to know each other first, then get married. The noble custom's backwards." She wanted to laugh at her words. It was the kind of thing Tris might say. She had said it, when Sandry had visited her while Alani was there, talking about the latest marriage contract she'd been offered. "At least in Namorn, they courted you," Tris had said then.

"Thank you! If nothing else, I want to meet Kaddar once before I go to Carthak to stay. I don't think it's much to ask for, do you?"

"Not at all." They were interrupted then by Kally's younger sister, Lianne. She told them that the queen was looking for Kally and Jaden was looking for Alani. The two followed the younger girl inside.

* * *

The next day, Alani spent her day at the university, trying to explain to Numair and Harailt the difference between ambient and wild magic.

"But it's in things, not so much in the mage, which makes it a type of wild magic," Numair argued. Alani shook her head.

"No, it's not."

"Well, then why is it so similar?" Harailt put in. Alani bit back a groan.

"Because, wild magic isn't all that biddable, correct?" She addressed the question to Numair, who knew the most about it. He nodded, and she continued. "Daine told me that she can only control her power so much, but that it can break away from her. Like sometimes, she mentioned her ability to heal is pulled from her."

"That's rare," Numair said.

"I know, but it proves my point. Ambient mages have things like that happen - power spilling out of them without their controlling it - when they haven't had enough practice in control. Depending on what their power is connected to, control is easier or harder to get. But once they reach that level, they only burst out like that when, like any academic - sorry, Gifted - mage, they lose control due to temper or something like that. Ambient magic is similar to wild magic, but they aren't the same. At least, not based on what you've said about it." She smiled, then frowned. There was something outside, something that reflected the sunlight. Shock made her freeze as she realized it was Chime.

"Um, I've got to go. I'll be back." She fled, leaving two confused men behind. "Chime?" she called when she got outside. The dragon glided down to her, making the sound that was her purr. "Hey, girl," she said, stroking the glass dragon's head when Chime landed on her wrist. "So, Tris is here, then? Why didn't she just send a breeze after me?" The dragon simply took flight again. Alani laughed. "All right, then, but not too fast. I can't fly - not without drawing attention to myself, anyway," she said, smirking when she remembered the trick with cyclones Tris had taught her for when she didn't want to use the stairs.

Chime led her to an inn located in a fairly decent part of town, a middle-class neighborhood. The inn itself, called the Wanderer's Retreat, was a neat, whitewashed building with trim green shutters. Chime flew into a window on the third and top floor. A few minutes later, Tris walked out of the inn's front door, Chime on her shoulder. Her red curls were in their usual braids, and she wore her tinted spectacles. Her dress was pale blue, and serviceable. She recognized Sandry's work as Tris brushed off a bit of dirt that had gotten onto her skirt when she came outside. Forgetting that Tris wasn't usually someone you ran up to and hugged, Alani did just that.

"Well, you must be homesick, because I'm too prickly for a hug like this," Tris remarked, hugging the younger girl back. Alani grinned as she stepped back.

"You just play at it," she told her former teacher. "Not that I'm not thrilled to see you, Tris, but why are you here? Nothing's wrong, is it?"

"No, of course not. I came to help you with those university mages. You said you needed help."

"You didn't have to come. I know you have the store."

"Keth's minding it."

"Keth? I thought he was going back to Namorn... wait a minute. Tris... you... and Keth?"

"Did I say that?"

"No, but answer the question."

"You're worse than Sandry."

"Tris! Come on. And don't insult me. Sandry's far worse."

"You're right. Yes, Keth and I are seeing one another. Are you happy? And don't go thinking that you've pulled me away from him. I wanted to come help. I think setting up an ambient magic area at a school like this is good. There's too many of us who go untaught." She grimaced. "And I'm not the only one who likes it. Now, let's get up to this school and see what's what."

"Fine. Follow me. And what's this about not being the only one?" She led Tris back toward the university. Tris rolled her gray eyes.

"Sandry's talking to Winding Circle's ruling council."

"What?"

"She wants an alliance with Tortall, and she wants to send ambient mages with the delegation, as a show of good faith. I think she considers us vanguards of the delegation."

"Wonderful. Was she always like this?"

"No, she wasn't. But she learned to handle politics after Duke Vedris' heart attack. She's gotten better at it than any of us would have expected."

"Apparently. So she wants a full-fledged alliance? I'm surprised. There are no west-east alliances. Trade agreements, but not this."

"I know. Sandry always thinks big. So, this university. How bad is it?"

"Excellent, if you want academic magic. You know about the different manifestation, right?" She was referring to the way that the Gift could appear as colored fire, and was often used without full spells. Tris nodded. "Well, they know plenty about that, though I personally prefer our flavor of academic magic; less flashy. But they've got Numair Salmalin; you know about him. And Harailt, the dean of the mages' school, is no slouch. They even understand wild magic, which I told you about in my last letter. But I just had a fight with them about ambient magic. They thought it was the same thing as wild magic."

"That's ridiculous," Tris said. "From what you said, it makes no sense. And your information came from the Wildmage, right?"

"And Numair, a bit. But no one knows much about ambient magic. Even Numair only knows that it's mostly craft-based, and works through things rather than on them. But apparently, while wild magic was thought of as a legend, there's practically no kind of record on ambient magic."

"Well, we've got nothing on wild magic, so I'm not surprised. I never heard of it when I was at Lightsbridge, and Niko doesn't know anything except the term." Alani let her jaw drop in fake shock.

"Niko doesn't know about something?" Tris cackled.

"That's what Briar said."

"Ah, well, we former street rats have to stick together." Tris rolled her eyes and Alani smirked.

"So, they're hopeless, then?" Tris asked.

"Utterly. I'm not up to this; I need a scholar like you. Not that I can't help, but you know more."

"I _am_ your teacher."

"Not anymore, technically."

"Then maybe I'll change my mind about helping you."

"You're still my teacher!" Alani said hurriedly. She didn't mind helping at the university, but Tris was so much better at that kind of thing. She needed Tris' help - Numair and Harailt needed Tris' help.

They reached the university and found Harailt and Numair. "Sorry I ran off, but I remembered that Tris was coming today," she lied smoothly.

"Tris? Trisana Chandler, the weather mage who studied with Niklaren Goldeye? The one who's supposed to be intertwined with four other mages, including the Duchess of Emelan?" Numair demanded. Tris raised her brows and looked at Alani, who winced.

"I guess I was wrong about you not being well-known over here?"

A/N: I'm so sorry about the wait. I never meant it to be this long.


End file.
